Riding on the lightweight aircraft, which weighs about 50 kg,
the user pedals the propeller like a bicycle,
which rotates the propeller and levitates the aircraft.
Driver
Normal airplanes are powered by jet engines. In contrast, human-powered airplanes fly by propelling the propeller by pedaling the pedals, similar to a bicycle. The drive unit is the mechanism that efficiently outputs the power input by the pilot to the pedals to rotate the propeller. The photo on the left shows a part called a tensioner, which is installed to adjust the tension of the chain used in the drive unit.
Frame
The frame is the framework that supports the fuselage. The frame is made of CFRP composite material, which is also used in actual aircraft, because it must be both sturdy and lightweight. Furthermore, since the fuselage cannot be transported to the airfield in its entirety, it is constructed in such a way that it can be divided into 14 parts. Moreover, because the pilot's life is at stake if the frame is broken, the precision of the frame is even pursued to the nearest 1/100th of a millimeter in its fabrication. Such a frame is the very essence of a human-powered airplane.
Wing
The main wings are 31.5 m wide and generate lift to lift the aircraft up in the air, and the wings are made of foamed polystyrene and balsa around a main girder made of CFRP to create a lightweight wing strong enough to withstand flight. The surface is covered with heat-shrinkable film to improve reproducibility. The tail wing is responsible for the stability and maneuverability of the aircraft, and is the part of the wing that designers pay the most attention to. The coefficients of the equation of motion are obtained, the performance of the motion is analyzed in a simulator, and adjustments are repeatedly made to obtain the performance required for the purpose.
Propeller
The pilot pedals the pedals and their rotation is transmitted to the propeller to generate thrust to move the aircraft forward. In propeller design, the airfoil shape to be used is determined based on the required thrust and rotation speed, and the twist of the propeller is determined using design software. The material used is balsa wood, a very light wood, and each propeller weighs about 400g. The surfaces are shiny and polished to reduce the burden on the pilot.
Fairing
The fairing is a white part that covers the cockpit where the pilot rides and is the face of the human-powered airplane. The role of the fairing is to reduce air resistance and to cushion the impact on the pilot when landing on the water. In fact, during the design process, the cross section of the wing was designed to be always in the shape of an airfoil. By the way, it is necessary to guarantee the safety of the pilot as well as the safety of the structure itself. The columns and framework are joined by mating, eliminating the possibility of pilot injury from joint parts.
Avionics
We design and program the circuits to electrically operate the tail wing in accordance with the pilot's operations. In addition, sensors such as GPS and gyros are placed throughout the aircraft to collect flight data, and the current flight data is communicated to the pilot via a display device, which also allows the pilot to review the flight data after the flight.
